Poisoning of lions inside Mara 'a wakeup call'

According to local sources around the Maasai Mara reserve, thousands of cattle are driven into the reserve for grazing every night.

Wildlife officials and communities around the Maasai Mara game reserve must do more to prevent human wildlife conflict, a wildlife expert has said.

The warning came almost three months after a world famous pride of lions was poisoned by herdsmen inside the reserve, leading to the death of three animals. The lions from the Marsh Pride are believed to have eaten a cow carcass which had been laced with poison on December 6 last year.

Conservationists have also raised the alarm over constant overgrazing inside the reserve.

“The poisoning incident of this lion pride inside the reserve is a wakeup call to all of us as conservationists and communities living near reserves and parks as well as alongside wildlife.” said Mr Ndetei, Species Manager for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) told Nation Newsplex.

The warning came as Narok County holds celebrations to mark the third World Wildlife Day, which aims to draw attention to the threats facing endangered species in Kenya.

A leopard in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE

Male lions “laughing” in the Maasai Mara game reserve. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE

A black rhino, an endangered species, in the Maasai Mara game reserve. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE

Kenya wildlife veterinary officers notch rhinos in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Rhinos are vulnerable to poaching continue to be an endangered species. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE

A cheetah and its cubs in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE

A lion feeding on a hippo in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Lions have remained vulnerable to poaching and are considered one of the endangered species in the region. PHOTO | GEORGE SAYAGIE

The fete under the theme “The future of elephants is in our hands”, was marked today at Maasai Mara University. It aims to raise awareness of the links between wildlife and people, call for an end to poaching and advocate sustainable development. Narok is the home of the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve.